Clermont Tournament Ban Brings Cries From Sponsors

State Sen. Richard Langley's ban on bass fishing tournaments on the Clermont chain of lakes is having a ripple effect that is spreading as far as Alabama and Kentucky.

Although Langley's bill, which bars tournaments with more than 25 boats, was intended to cover only a relatively unfished series of lakes in Lake County, its potential effects are viewed as more widespread.

Tournament sponsors and bass anglers see it as a dangerous precedent that may see their sport swamped in a wave of antitournament hysteria.

Citing what they say is a lack of public understanding of how controlled a bass-fishing contest is, they fear Langley's example will spread to other lakes in Florida and perhaps to the rest of the country.

In addition, they think Langley's bill is an unfair abridgement of their right to use public waters while other user groups are left alone.

''There are countless numbers of joyriders and water skiers who do nothing but burn fuel. Why are bass fishermen being singled out? Everyone has the right to use public water,'' said Fred Chivington Jr., an Orlando engineer who is a veteran tournament participant. ''When united, bass fishermen will be a very powerful voting force, and we will vote against anyone who wants to take away our right to use public waters.''

Troy Pickett, a veteran tournament fisherman from Apopka, said he fears the ban sentiment will spread to such waters as the St. Johns River or even Lake Okeechobee.

But Pickett said he sees one bright spot in the ban -- it may encourage bass anglers to organize.

''Perhaps . . . this bill will serve as a shock to bass tournament anglers and organizers alike and bring the tournament fishing together for the good of the sport,'' he said.

Ensminger, who holds two Bass 'N Buddy tournaments on the Clermont Chain each year, said bass tournaments don't do serious damage to a lake's fish population or ecology.

He cites a lengthy state study of such tournaments that concludes that the contests have no negative impact on Florida's bass fishing.

Instead, Ensminger said, the tournaments help the fishing by imposing tougher-than-needed restrictions on participants.

Most contests have a seven-fish limit, which is lower than the state's 10-fish bag limit, he said. In addition, the tournaments have 12- or 14-inch minimum size limits, while the state has no minimum size for bass.

And the tournaments stress release of all fish alive, deducting points from competitors who bring back dead fish.

''It appears that the regulated sportfishing industry has been convicted and judged guilty at a time we didn't even know we were doing anything wrong,'' Ensminger said.

Other tournament organizations outside Florida also are promising action.

Operation Bass, the group behind the Red Man tournament trail, has organized a letter-writing campaign from its Kentucky headquarters.

And in Alabama, the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society -- granddaddy of the tournament groups -- is promising action.

Langley, R-Clermont, who has not been available for comment since the furor began, had said he was introducing the tournament ban to protect a chain of lakes designated as Outstanding Florida Waters.

While he may be a villain to the bass-fishing buffs, he is something of a hero to his Lake County constituents. Other officials in Lake County say Langley is highly popular with local voters because of the ban.